Assignment+1

Norma Chan Professor Gail Benick & Michael Jones CCT205 January 28, 2010 Assignment 1: Strategy and Tactics **

In he Practice of Everyday Life, Michel de Certeau clarifies the obscurity of everyday life and the ways of operating within the realm of social practice or “everyday practice” (Buck Lee). Through representation, the ways of operation are necessary to be defined, while “consumption” is a hidden production by its users. Certeau emphasized on Foucault’s concept of social practices base on “Disciplines and Punish”, and Bordieu’s concept of “habitus” to define the procedures of everyday creativities. Moreover, Certeau touched on "the relations between consumers and the mechanism of production” and draws attention to the pair, strategy and tactics.

The breakdown of the term “strategic” outlines institution, and structure of power. “Tactics” are then utilized by Individuals who create space for themselves in environments are governed by strategies.

In my freshman year, my experience with University was unknown and eventually, it became scary. With deadlines approaching before the fall semester begins, I had to decide rather to live on resistance or not. My mother advised me, $5000 to live on residence would save me 4 hours of comminuting time as well as transportation fees. Everything was fine, but there was one catch. First year students must be enrolled in the school meal program for $2000. From what I have researched, the food on campus offer Tim Horton, Booster Juice, Mr. Sub, Pizza Pizza, Pita Warp, and On the Go. My final decision was rather easy. I asked myself, “Could I really eat $2000 worth of coffee timbits, pizza, and whatnot?” I highly doubted.

Every decision made in my academic career is correspondent to money. It is true that money is a big player in the education system. Every decision made follows a strict deadline. When can I drop course to receive 100% of my tuition fee, few weeks later down to 50%, should I still take the course or should I withdraw 50% of the money? At least it’s something in return. The program in which I am enrolled in; CCIT Major runs towards a flat fee rate. I ask myself, then should I just take as many courses as I need since I am paying nearly 10 grand already? Then why don’t I upgrade my degree to VCC or DEM since am paying this much anyway. All these calculations challenge what I, as a full time student is capable of in terms of financial and academic decisions. These decisions are compromised by one goal: the (semi-big times) BhD.

On a daily basis, I must comminute at least three to four hours bouncing myself from Downtown Toronto, to Mississauga, and most of the time to Oakville. To go back home I must follow the same route, Oakville, Mississauga, and back to my beloved home in Toronto. In order to make extra pocket money, I worked Saturdays at Orange Fish, Sushi Restaurant as a waitress. I learnt that bills are not over yet after paying for the tuition. I must pay additional lab-fees, material-fees, textbook-fees, while nothing is free. Furthermore I went to pick up my amazing University of Toronto agenda from the Student Union building, only to find out I was too late. All the agendas have been handed out. Nothing to blame, indeed I came a few days later after the distribution date but this means that the numbers being printed does not correspond to the number of subtotal of students in the institution. Ten grand tuition, and still no free agenda available.

It is the same day where I stumbled over the Drop Fees Campaign booth at the Student Union Center at UTM. The student volunteered wore T-shirts that wrote “DROP FEE”. The booth embellished with banners and attractive flags of the campaign logo garbed my attention.

From the student workers, I learnt the Drop Fees campaign challenges the current government post-secondary education policy that will positively benefit the student and the general sector. This campaign fights to “Reaching Higher framework for high tuition fees” in 2009. What better place to promote this campaign is there then the student’s own education institution?

The worker asked me to record my first name, last name, e-mail address, address, following my signature. Following this task would allow a student to become part of the Drop Fee Campaign. With this simple procedure, I am able to leave a mark on behave of the student bodies. For further information, I could also access the Drop Fee campaign website (http://www.dropfees.ca/). Furthermore, through recommendations, I have followed a Facebook group to reach and to connect with other students of the same believe and interest. Through this group, I am able to receive updates on news, events at an instance.

This campaign shows the perfect example of tactics used by the student bodies to attempt to create a space in the environment that are governed by the post-secondary education institute (strategic). The tactics established are all the ways in which volunteers used to promote the Drop Fee campaign. These tactics includes setting up booths in the hallway, creating a poster, talking to other students, Facebook or Twitter group. These tactics uses the way of communication with technology in the 21st century, and wishes to promote believes to change the current strategic.

Lee, Buck. "Michel de Certeau: The Practice of Everyday Life ". Cultural Studies: Identity and Representation. 2001. 27 Jan. 2010 . "DROP FEES: JOIN THE MOVEMENT". Canadian Federation of Students - Ontario. 2008. 27 Jan. 2010 .
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